Have you ever wished you could work at NASA or even become
an astronaut? Would you like to be part of a team that designs, builds,
launches, and controls the next generation of space exploration vehicles?
Does the idea of working to put people on Mars get you excited? Would you
just like to find out more about NASA’s programs and opportunities?

On Thursday, April 2, Mike Welham, current mathematics
instructor at Vol State and 20-year NASA veteran, will share his experiences and
introduce you to the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program.
He will present videos, pictures, and “war stories” from his 20-years at many
of NASA centers in the U.S. and answer your questions. He will also tell
about the scholarship opportunities funded by NASA and a special program that’s
open only to community college students who have completed or will soon
complete 9+ hours in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
disciplines. The event will take place from 12:00 to 2:00 in the Rochelle
Center in the Thigpen Library.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Honey-Rae Swan, Trish Villani, Samantha Eubanks on the
campus at the University of North Georgia during the Southern Literary Festival

Vol State students Samantha
Eubanks, Honey-Rae Swan, and Trish Villani, recently attended the Southern Literary
Festival in historic Dahlonega, Georgia, along with English Professor Leslie
LaChance. They took writing workshops in
poetry, fiction, and memoir, and attended literary readings and book signings with
well-known authors, including Francis Mayes (Under the Tuscan Sun) and Tony Grooms (Trouble No More). The
students also read original works at an open mic. The festival was held at the
University of North Georgia, in the beautiful Appalachian foothills. During the
festival, Vol State students visited with students and faculty from other many
other colleges and universities in the region, and they enjoyed exploring the
historical surroundings of Dahlonega, a mining town and site of the first major
U.S. Gold Rush.

The Southern Literary Festival is an organization of
southern colleges and schools founded in 1937 to promote southern literature.
Each year a different school hosts the Festival—which is, in effect, an
undergraduate writing conference that entails writing workshops in fiction,
poetry, creative nonfiction, and playwriting; a writing competition; and a
venue in which the participating students, faculty, and general public attend
readings by well-known writers.

The SLF has an illustrious history. Robert Penn Warren, then a professor at
LSU, was one of the founders. He spoke at the conference on a number of
occasions, as did Eudora Welty, Katherine Anne Porter, and Flannery O’Connor,
who won an award at SLF as an undergraduate and later headlined the conference
as a nationally prominent writer.

Priority class registration for summer and fall classes gives you the opportunity to get the classes you need at the times that you want. It starts on Monday and Tuesday, April 6 and 7, at 8 a.m. for current students. Sophomores can start registering on Monday and Freshmen (less than 30 class credits) start on Tuesday. This is the week to get ready. Your first step would be to check Degree Works on My Vol State. It can show you what classes you need for your degree. It also gives you the available day and time options. Once you have sorted out what you want to take, it's time to see your academic advisor. They can make sure that you are taking the correct classes in the correct order.

Registration for summer and fall classes will soon open to everyone. So, take advantage of Priority Registration now and the get the first crack at classes.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Bonnie Breland and Justin Williams demonstrate their
experiment during the Math and Science Expo Thursday.

Whoever said science and math can't be fun obviously has never tried burning materials soaked in rubbing alcohol or mixed a variety of food with liquid nitrogen. It's actually a lot of fun.

That was the whole point of this week's annual Math and Science Expo at Vol State. Each year both departments host a day of hands-on experiments to engage with area youth, hopefully sparking an interest in math or science at a young age. The Wallace Building was filled with about 100 different experiments both kids and adults could wrap their hands around.

"You've got college students engaged in science education and math education reaching out to a much younger audience from elementary and middle school, so it's a totally different kind of engagement," associate professor of chemistry Paris Powers said.

In one corner of one of the science labs, Bonnie Breland, Justin Williams, and Taylor Wiley were busy burning dollar bills that had been soaked in a 50-50 mixture isopropyl alcohol and water. Kids were amazed when the bill remained unharmed after being lit on fire.

"We wanted something quick that we could reenact many times over without using a whole lot of supplies, plus kids like fire," Breland said. "I know they don't understand everything that's going on in these experiments, but it catches their eye and they get an interest in science and maybe they'll have a career in it later on."

In another room during the expo, Holly Guldeman and Dustin Jones were busy demonstrating how the diaphragm worked using a model built of a water jug, balloons, and a Darth Vader mask. As expected, the demonstration went over well with the kids, which was exciting for science students such as Guldeman and Jones.

"I never got to do anything like this when I was a kid, but science in general isn't appreciated enough, so it's good to start when they're a little kid to help learn that appreciation," Guldeman said.

Jones agreed with his partner.

"We can put it on a level that they understand, because if you really dive deep into all this stuff, it's really complicated. We take those ideas and put it in simple terms that gets them interested and excited about science," he said.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

You can now check to see what classes are coming up for summer and fall. You will find the class schedules in My Vol State. A reminder that Maymester classes are listed under summer. Why is it important to consider classes now? Priority Registration for sophomores (30 hours or more) starts at 8am on April 6. For Freshmen (less than 30 hours) it opens on April 7 at 8am. Use Degree Works and see your advisor now to pick classes. Get the classes you need at the times that you want by using Priority Registration for current students.Course registration for new and readmit students opens on April 20. New students may need to take part in orientation first. Please keep an eye on your Vol State email account for details.

Volunteer State Community College students and local
residents can protect themselves from identity theft by participating in a
community shredding event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, March 28, 2015, at
Pickel Field House parking lot off Gap Boulevardat Volunteer State
Community College.

The free event allows students,
faculties and local area residents to safely destroy records that have
personable identifiable information on them. The Tennessee Department of Safety
and Homeland Security is sponsoring the event in coordination with MaxShred
“The Touchless On-Site Shredding Company”, Volunteer State Community College
Campus Police, Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and Gallatin Police
Department.

A shredding truck will be parked on the lot for anyone to
bring paper items that they would like to be shredded, said Captain Troy
Everett, of the Identity Crimes Unit of the Tennessee Department of Safety and
Homeland Security.

“Our main audience will be the students on campus and
residence of the local community who may need the service to provide that extra
comfort of security in today’s environment,” Everett said.

Citizens can bring a maximum of two boxes or trash bags of
personal or private documents to shred. No cardboard or non-paper items will be
accepted.

Vol State students Stephanie Goodrum, Ren Creasy, and Hannah Meece play nuns
in the school's production of "Nunsense: The Mega Musical Version."

Nuns, spoiled food, and songs. These things might not seem like they go together, but in the world of "Nunsense: The Mega Musical Version," they do.

Starting tonight, the Volunteer State Community College Theater Program will present its production of the musical-comedy that follows a group of sisters who attempt to put on a show to raise money to bury fellow sisters who were accidentally killed by the convent cook's tainted soup.

It's an exciting production for theater students who are anxious to tackle musical theater, according to actors Stephanie Goodrum, Ren Creasy, and Hannah Meece.

"I'm more of an actor than a singer, so it's more challenging. I had to really work on that and the dancing. The acting was easy," Creasy said. "In every acting job, you're always going to try to step up and try something new, so this has been a good challenge."

"We've definitely gotten to experience how nuns are supposed to act and how they don't need to act," Goodrum added with a laugh.

The show features a variety of dance and song numbers, and Creasy said she hopes the show will provide a great piece of entertainment for the greater Vol State community.

"Our job as actors and performers is to let the audience have their moment of escape, so that's what I want for everyone who comes and watches this show. Just come, enjoy the show, laugh, and have a good time," she said.

Meek said she hopes the show will bring even more attention to the theater program at Vol State.

"I really hope the people that come and watch it just enjoy it and they get excited about coming back to Vol State for future productions.

The musical will begin at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday, and Saturday in the Wemyss Auditorium in Caudill Hall. A Sunday matinee performance will be presented at 2:30 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door. Vol State students get in free with their ID. For more information, call 615-230-3202.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

But one Vol State student considers herself lucky to have landed a role in an upcoming independent horror film.

Kealani Hughes, a theater arts student and aspiring makeup artist, got involved after her friend and former Vol State student Nick Huntsman let her know a small production company called Deviant Pictures needed an artist for their upcoming horror sequel "The Hospital 2." After submitting some work, Hughes found herself in Alabama working on the movie.

"My goal is to be a special effects makeup artist. I want to be up there performing with my work. I like putting makeup more on other people than I do on myself, so I love special effects. That's what I want to do, so it was a great experience," she said.

The shoot lasted 10 days in late January as filming took place in Marion, Ala., with Hughes doing makeup work on the film. The filmmakers needed a small role filled, so Hughes auditioned and got the part of Officer Cooper, a rookie cop.

Vol State student Kealani Hughes as Officer Cooper in a still from "The Hospital 2."

Hughes described the film as a hardcore horror film about a haunted hospital, and it's definitely not designed for those who are squeamish.

"It is extreme hour. It's not for the kindhearted to say the least," she said with a laugh.

While the film might be shocking audiences when it's finally released in the fall, the experience making it was a lot of fun, according to Hughes. She learned a lot she can take into future filmmaking experiences.

"You just can't get 16 hours of experience working with a ton of people working by yourself at home. I just love it because it's not the same thing everyday," she said.

Find out more about "The Hospital 2," including behind-the-scenes pictures, and release date information, at the film's Facebook page.